Structural toy



Feb. 2, 1932.

w. D. FERRls STRCTURAL TOY Filed Jan. 25, 1930 Patented(V Feb. 2, 1932 1 UNITED STATES WILLIAM D. FERRIS, OF STERLING, ILLINOIS, ASSIG-NOB. TO HUSTLER TOY CORPO- PATENT OFFICE VRATION, OF STERLING, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS STRUCTURAL TOY .ApplicationA led January 25, 19,30. Serial No. 423,365.

This invention relates to structural toys, and more particularly to those involving rods or dowels, together with members for connecting the rods or dowels together in'various shapes and forms, thereby to permitl the building of toy structures of diderent kinds.

Generally stated, the obj ect of the invention is to provide a novel andl improved construction and arrangement whereby rods or dowels having solid or nonyielding end portions can be used, in combination with connecting members having yielding or resilient sockets for the ends of said rods or dowels, thereby to connect the rods or dowels in different Ways, to form toy structures of different kinds.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features ofconstruction and combinations tending to increase the general etlieiency and the desirability of a set of structural toy parts of this particulaicharacter.

To the foregoing and other useful ends, the invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. l is a side elevation of a combination of rods or dowels and connecting members therefor, embodying the principles of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail section on line 2 2 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a similark section on line 3-3 in Fig. 1.

As thus illustrated, the invention comprises a plurality of dowels or rods, preferably of wood, such as the rods or dowels 1, 2 and 3,

shown in the drawings. These rods or dowels are solid and have non-yielding end portions.

A. plurality of connecting members are provided, for connecting the said rods or dowels in different ways, to form toy structures of dierent kinds. Each connecting member comprises two sheet metal sections or halves 4 and 5, which are stamped out of sheet metal and formed in the desired manner. The section 5 is provided with lugs 6 that are bent over the edges of the section 4; to hold the two halves together. The section 4 is provided with radial portions 7, and the section 5 isprovided with similar radial portions 8, the portions 7 and 8 forming resilient split sockets for the solid or non-yielding end portions of the said rods or dowels. The hub portion of eachy connecting member is pro vided with a split cylinder 9 inserted therein, which cylinder is eXpansible and resilient to receive a rod or dowel, and to frietionally Vhold the same, when such is necessary or desirable inthe building of any structural 0 toy.

In use, the rods or dowels l, 2 and 3, or similar elements, are inserted in the resilient clamping sockets formed by the portions 7 and 8, previously mentioned. `With rods and dowels of different lengths and su'liicient number, and with sheet metal connecting members of the kind shown and described, various toy structures can be built in a manner that will be readily understood. The sockets of the connecting members are flexible and resilient, to frictionally hold the ends of the rods or dowels, and hence the ends of the rods or dowels may be solid and nonyielding in character. 5

|Vhat I claim as my invention is:

l. In a structural toy, the combination of rods or dowels having non-yielding smooth and rigid end portions, and sheet metal connecting members having flexible and resilient sockets for the frictional retention of the end* portions of said rods or dowels, each socket having an individual closed sheet metal bottom limiting the insertion ofthe rod or dowel, said bottom heilig spaced apart, preventing engagement of the rods with cach other, whereby to connect the rods or dowels in different ways to form structural toys of differnet forms, said connecting members cach comprising sheet metal halves secured together, said halves having outer meeting edges between said sockets, each section provided with radial portions extending outwardly a distance beyond said edges, the ral dial portions of one section being opposite the radial portions of the other section, thereby providing holders forming said resilient sockets, the sides and bottom of each holder being split in the plane of said edges, togather with central hub means, said halves having annular meeting portions between said hub means and the bottoms of said sockets.

2. In a structuraltoy, the combination of rods or dowels having non-yielding smooth and rigid end portions, and sheet metal conf necting members having flexible and resilient Y' sockets Yfor thefrictional'retention 'of the end portions of said rods or dowels, each socket having an individual closed'.sheet,metal.boteY j tom limiting the insertion of the, rod or dowel, j

said bottom being spaced apart,`preventing engagement of the rods with eachother,V whereby to connect the rodsior dowels in Y diii'erent waysto form 'structural toys'oi:l dify ferent forms, said connecting' members each having a split cylinder hub forming a iiexible or resilient holderfor a rod vory dovvel, said hub Vhaving its sides spaced a dist-ance from the vclosed bottom oi'' said sockets, the ends lof f i l said hub being iianged ontsideat its ends to' holdy it againstendwise displacement and yto facilitate the insertion of the rod or dowel.

3. Ina structural toy, the combination 'of Y -rods or dowels havingnon-iyielding smooth Y and rigid end portions, and sheet'n'ietal connecting members having flexible land resilient sockets for the rictional retention vof the end portions of said rods or dowels, each socket having an individual closed sheet metal bot* Vtoni limiting the insertion of they rod or dOWel, said bottom being` spacedapart, preventing engagement of the 'rods with each other, whereby to connect the rods or dowels in different waysto form structural toys oic different forms, each connecting member comprising sheet metal halves forming secj tions, each section having a ring-like portion between the -center'of said member and thebottoms of said sockets, onesection having said socketsextending radially'from jsaid center `beyond the peripheries of the rtwo sections.

Specification signed this 18th day `ofil'ran- WILLIAMD. 'irnniiis nary, 1930.V 

